Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

"...Hero?"

Fao took the sword subconsciously and was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and said, "No, I'm not a hero, Your Excellency, you are."

If Herbert hadn't come to the rescue, he would have been trampled to death by the Demon, swallowed into its belly, and eventually turned into a pile of dung.

"If it weren't for you, I would have died."

Herbert looked at the downcast Paladin, raised his eyebrows, placed his hand on Fao's shoulder, and said softly:

"If it weren't for you, they would have died too."

"If you hadn't persisted, I wouldn't have been able to come and help you."

Herbert let Fao lift his head, showing him the massive corpse, and softly said, "I did kill it, but I didn't truly defeat it."

From beginning to end, Herbert only enraged the Demon, which didn't make it feel fear.

But Fao was different.

Though weaker, he successfully forced back the swamp boar, making it uneasy and hesitant for a long time.

"The one who truly defeated it is you."

He patted Fao's shoulder, saw him furrow his brows as if trying to explain, and shook his head with a gentle smile:

"There's no need to argue. This fact is indisputable. I have no intention of stealing your credit, and please don't put me in a difficult position."

"Sir Fao, please don't be modest anymore. To be someone with a will to sacrifice is to be a hero beyond question."

At the critical moment, even if Fao, with his strongest power, had a broken leg, he could easily escape by letting others hold off the Demon.

But he chose not to do so. Instead, he chose to sacrifice himself to save others.

If such a person can't be called a hero... then what kind of person could qualify?

"So please lift your head."

Listening to Herbert's heartfelt appreciation, Fao still slowly shook his head, his figure becoming more hunched, his head lowered as he said sorrowfully:

"But in the end, I still faltered."

"No, at that moment, I was... afraid."

Hero?

No, I'm unworthy...

Fao thought of his own cowardice at the last moment, feeling a bit ashamed of being called that, even feeling utterly disgraced.

He thought of when the Power of the Sun receded, the Divine Spirit perceived his wavering heart and withdrew its favor.

"My Lord sensed my fear and abandoned me."

He thought even more of his fear before death.

He had persisted to the end, but at the moment of impending destruction, he felt regret in his heart.

If I hadn't acted like that, could I have survived?

If...

Pa.

He felt his shoulder being patted with a slight force, causing him to sway back and forth.

He blankly lifted his head, seeing Herbert's calm but powerful gaze, and heard his gentle voice.

"Please don't feel ashamed because of fear."

"Everyone feels fear."

"You feel fear, I do too."

"Just now, I was also worrying if I might fail. What if I missed? Even changing tactics out of fear."

Herbert candidly expressed his thoughts without reservation, naturally saying:

"But what's wrong with that?"

"All of us feel fear. Even the Archbishop does the same; he too fears certain things."

...Ah?

Despite already feeling very down, Fao couldn't help but open his mouth after hearing this, resisting and saying:

"That, His Excellency, he... surely wouldn't feel fear, right?"

Is there anything in this world that could make the Archbishop feel uneasy or frightened?

He thought Herbert's words somewhat underestimated the Archbishop.

That's a Saint walking among humans!

How could he feel fear... What in this world could possibly make him afraid?

Herbert noticed he successfully diverted Fao's attention, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth, and asked with a grin, "Why wouldn't he?"

"The Archbishop is indeed a Saint, but he's also a mortal like us, with human emotions."

After a few exchanges with the Archbishop, Herbert felt confident that he was one of the few in the monastery who truly understood the Archbishop's genuine character.

The real Archbishop wasn't as serious as others imagined, nor so... proper.

He indeed was an incomprehensibly powerful Old Deng, with immeasurable strength.

Yet the Archbishop was also an unpretentious old man, quite an easy-going elder, even a bit of a playful child.

"No, even if transcending the mortal world, the Divine Spirits feel fear too."

Having become acquainted with Nenasha and after contacting the Ice and Snow Goddess, Herbert became more convinced that the Divine Spirits in this world are not as mysterious as perceived.

They are not purely embodiments of rules, nor some will of the Heavenly Dao, or indescribable existence.

Instead, they are more like beings with immense power, wielding certain forces.

They may have personalities influenced by their divine positions, but they also have their own emotions... Mm, possessing quite strong self-awareness.

Since even the Divine Spirits aren't exempt, why should we demand that mere mortal Paladins have no fear in their hearts?

That would indeed be too demanding.

"We are Paladins, enforcers of order and justice, advancing under the light of faith."

"But we shouldn't and needn't feel ashamed because of fear."